Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-02

SPRINGFIELD, ILL, June l.-FolIoWin
is the speech of Senator John Sherman
delivered here to-day at the request Of tn
Republican members Of the state Legisla
tuTe:
Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen:
1t is with unaffected difIfdence that
accepted the invitation Of officers anC
members Of the Legislature of Illinois Il
speak to you here on The political issue.
OF the day, for know that they have beer
presented to you by many eminent states
men ard orators Of your state in q fal
more attractive manner than | could hope
to copy. Sill, r. garded this invitation
as Il call of public duty, and l hope 70
catch some ot he inspiration that springs
from this fountain of political iutelli-
gence. And now that l nave seen your
City, have met you here, and have been
received SO cordially, do rot regret my
coming.
What you desire of me, presume, is u
statement OF nv view of the principles
and tendencies Of the two great political
parties of the country, for they must be
tested by these and not by independent
opini ems or partial differences which al
ways exist. These principles are the
natural OutgrOWth of the contest over
the institution OF slavery that hiss Contin-
ued since the commencement of the gov
eminent. but it was not until the repeal
of the Missouri compromise, and the
great debate that occurred in Illinois be
tween Alb aham Lincoln and Stephen A .
Douglas, thai the philosophy of slavery
was tullv presented before popular audi
- I L. ! q A.,
nomination of Mr.. Lincoln and made him
the first Republican President Of the
United State.
Then also vas saown the destructive
tendencies OF the institution of slavery
and its mastery over the Democratic
party. 3 Because Mr.. Douglas would not
agree 10 its extreme demand il broke up
the Charleston convention and DESTROYED
his last hope OF success. When Lincoln
was elected il fired upon Fort Sumter
and commenced the war that covered our
land with heroic dead, and left among
Us hundreds Of thousands Of MANNED,
wounded and Invalid soldiers and the
widows Of tlose who persisted. But
thank God IN this struggle slavery COM
mit,ad suicide, and the good time which
Lincoln hOrad would come in the far fu-
ture, came ~ the attempt ct secession,
and it was his hand that wrote the decree
Of eternal jus ice that abolished slavery
forever.
1t was the Republican party that guided
the ship of state through the perils and
storms OF civil war. 1t marshalIed
armies, built navies, improvised a cur
Iency which 10 this day is the best ever
devised in peace or war 1t borrowed
immense sums Of money, end yet laid the
foundation Of G public credit higher in the
markets Of the world than that of aDy ma
ton in our own or in ancient times. 1t
also established q public policy of taxa
ton which, improved since the wsT, has
filed our Treasury to overlooking with
revenue, and yet has so encouraged, de-
velOped, fOstered and protected our in
dustries thai we Can dig from our mines,
make in cur own workshops ana raise on
our own farms ell the raw products of
nature, and every article Of necessity,
convenience or luxury essential to the
highest civilization.
What did the Democratic party do dur
ing these trying times? That many thou
sand Democrats did their full share in
maintaining the government, both in the
field and IN the public councils, must be
conceded by every fair minded man and
the highest credit must be given TO them
for their patriotism, courage and devotion
TO duty. Chief Of these at the beginning
CT the contest was Stephen a. Douglas.
No man doubts that if he had lived he
would hsve stood at the right hand of
Lincoln in the Senate, and in the field
would nave maintained the honor of the
flag end the integrity Of the Union, and,
like Lincoln and Grant, would never have
yielded u1til the last rebel had laid down
MS arms in unconditional surrender. His
speech made in the old State House here
on April %, 1861, after Mr. LinColn's first
call Tor troops, is full Of passages of the
most earnest patriotism,
On June 3, 1861, before the great drama
had fairly commenced, he Douglass |
slept his last sleep. Fortunately fer his |!
fame he left behind him his nearest friend |
and disciple, man who shared his coun- !
sci perhaps more closely than any other, |
who entered at once into the military
service of his country, and from the be- |
ginning to the close of the war was gal /
liant soldier, the very spirit of chivalry; |
brave, strong; leading when he COM
aud sharing with his soldiers all |
the privsti0ps and dangers OF war.
John a Logan lived the life that be-
lieve Douglas would have lived If death /.
had spared him. And now the marble I
images of Lincoln and Douglas stand |
side by side in the rotunda Of this CAPT /
toll, oIce adyersarieS III debates, then /
friends, and now saints, alike in the gal /
lXy OF the patriotic dead of the republic. [
The marble statue of Logan should COM
1lete the triumYirate.
But what was the course of the Demo
ratio party during the civil war? Emas-
;ulsted by the loss OF the patriotic men
Who entered the service of their country,
Z the time of its peril, it wss the repre-
sentative of sill the disioyal elements Of
yur country.
It gathered in its folds knights Of the 1
Golden Circle, the mob rioters of New
FORK an6she bounty jumpers and shirks
heldtreasona5le correspondence with
ebel emissaries on our Canadian border
nd conveyed intelligence to the enemy
Q most critical periods of the war. 1t
vailed itself of the. apathy of critical